Drawing from political science, sociology, and communication literature, this paper provides a review of research dealing with political candidate image to show the various ways this concept has been treated by scholars. The paper begins with an examination of the rationales offered by researchers for the study of image, then addresses the components of candidate image, empirically derived concepts of the "ideal candidate," and comparative evaluations of candidate images. It next discusses extraneous concerns that might affect the "role" of an image within the context of an election. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible future directions for research in the area. Seventy-six references are provided. (FL)